Last year, a deadly virus hit the world. Everyone was scared. Schools had to be temporarily closed. Students had to stay home. However, education has to go on. We couldn’t just stop educating our children. So, what should we do?
We had no choice but to shift our learning to a new platform completely. We went from learning inside a classroom to learning online. As a fresh graduate teacher, I was nervous. My university didn’t prepare me for this. I’m not used to online learning, and I’m still learning the ropes of teaching. How can I teach my students well?
I remember the first time I zoom-called with my students. The first thing that came out of their mouth was “Teacher! When can we go back to school?” My heart ached. I knew the situation wouldn’t return to normal anytime soon. All I could do was to tell them that soon we would be able to go back to our class.
I remember telling myself I should do my best to make this new experience an enjoyable one for my students. It wasn’t easy. I had to stay up late to search for online resources. I had to experiment with various apps to find a suitable learning platform. I had to attend webinars to acquire new techniques to teach my students. It took a lot of time and effort to get myself adjusted to the situation. But, I did it. With the support of my school and my determination, I have overcome this challenge. I have found ways to teach my students even if it was not inside a classroom.
This year, the virus was spreading faster than ever; however, this time we are prepared and ready. We have started adapting to this new way of life, and finally, we found a way to avoid the pitfalls of the pandemic.
COVID-19 or no COVID-19, life goes on. Education can still take place whether online or onsite.
-By Soksreyla Owens